Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Arrest Of Rabbi And Member Of Satmar Community For Conspiring To Kidnap And Murder

Goal of the Alleged Scheme Was to Obtain a Religious Divorce for the Victim's Wife

Preet
Bharara, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York,
William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York
Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and
William J. Bratton, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department
(“NYPD”), announced the filing of a federal criminal complaint charging
SHIMEN LIEBOWITZ and AHARON GOLDBERG with conspiring to kidnap and
murder an individual in order to obtain a religious divorce for that
individual’s wife. LIEBOWITZ and GOLDBERG were arrested yesterday in
Central Valley, New York, while meeting to plan the kidnapping and
murder. They will be presented later today before Magistrate Judge
Debra Freeman in federal court in Manhattan.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “The defendants are
charged with a chilling plot to kidnap and murder the intended victim.
Over a period of months, the Complaint alleges, they met repeatedly to
plan the kidnapping and to pay more than $55,000 to an individual they
believed would carry it out. Thanks to the exemplary work of our
partners at the FBI and NYPD, Liebowitz and Goldberg are now in
custody.”

FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “As if
the plan to kidnap the victim and force him to divorce his wife in this
alleged conspiracy wasn’t bad enough, the plotters allegedly decided
halfway through the arrangement to go a step further and add murder to
the list of their planned crimes. Our country protects freedom of
religious beliefs and practices, but no one is allowed to plot a
kidnapping and murder regardless of their motivation.”

According to the allegations in the Complaint unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:[1]

According to Jewish religious law as observed in certain communities,
in order to effect a divorce, a husband must provide his wife with a
document known as a “get.” A woman whose husband will not consent to a divorce is known as an “agunah.” In the absence of the husband’s issuing a get, an agunah may be released from her marriage only through the husband’s death.

In early July, an individual (the “CS”) contacted the FBI and
reported that the CS had been recruited by LIEBOWITZ and GOLDBERG to
kidnap a particular individual (the “Intended Victim”) in order to force
the Intended Victim to issue a get to his wife. Like the CS,
GOLDBERG and LIEBOWITZ are orthodox Jews. LIEBOWITZ is a member of the
Satmar community in Kiryas Joel, New York (a village in Orange County,
New York), and GOLDBERG is an Israel-based rabbi who also maintains a
position of prominence in Kiryas Joel.

The CS provided the FBI with information about a conversation he had
with LIEBOWITZ and GOLDBERG on or about July 6 or July 7. During the
meeting, which was recorded, the CS feigned interest in participating in
the kidnapping. He, GOLDBERG, and LIEBOWITZ discussed how such a
kidnapping might be carried out, including the possibility of luring the
Intended Victim to Pennsylvania in order to kidnap him, torture him,
and force him to give the get. The CS, GOLDBERG, and LIEBOWITZ
also discussed the possibility of kidnapping the Intended Victim in
Ukraine, where the Intended Victim planned to travel in late September
to celebrate the Jewish New Year. GOLDBERG and LIEBOWITZ agreed to
advance the CS $25,000 to assist in efforts to plan the kidnapping.
According to the CS, within days of this initial meeting, an envelope
containing approximately $25,000 cash was delivered to the CS.

On or about August 9, 2016, the CS met with LIEBOWITZ and GOLDBERG in
Kiryas Joel, New York. During this meeting, the CS, GOLDBERG, and
LIEBOWITZ discussed additional details of the kidnapping plan, including
logistics and the cost associated with a plan to kidnap the Intended
Victim overseas. This conversation was also recorded.

On August 12, 2016, the CS again met with LIEBOWITZ and GOLDBERG, at
which time they provided the CS with an additional payment of over
$20,000 for use in making arrangements for the kidnapping. In this
meeting, which was also recorded, the CS, GOLDBERG and LIEBOWITZ further
discussed their plan to kidnap the Intended Victim in the United States
and to obtain the get from him in this country.

Subsequent to the August 12, 2016, meeting, the CS had additional
conversations with GOLDBERG, in which GOLDBERG discussed his desire not
merely to kidnap the Intended Victim, but also to kill him.

On August 25, 2016, the CS met LIEBOWITZ in Central Valley, New
York. During the meeting, LIEBOWITZ paid the CS an additional sum of
about $12,000 to carry out the kidnapping. Also during the meeting, the
CS spoke by phone with GOLDBERG, who was still in Israel, about the
kidnapping plan, which the CS and GOLDBERG referred to in code as a
“wedding,” as well as GOLDBERG’s desire that the CS kill the Intended
Victim. This conversation was also recorded.
On or about September 2, 2016, the CS had another recorded
conversation with LIEBOWITZ, during which LIEBOWITZ indicated his
understanding that the Intended Victim would be murdered as part of the
plan.

* * *

LIEBOWITZ, 25, of Monroe, New York, and GOLDBERG, 55, of Bnei Brak,
Israel, are charged with one count each of conspiracy to commit
kidnapping, which carries a maximum potential sentence of life in
prison, and one count each of conspiracy to commit murder for hire,
which carries a maximum potential sentence of 10 years in prison. The
maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and
are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of
the defendants will be determined by the judge.

The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and
the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal
Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Police Department,
working through the Joint Organized Crime Task Force.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized
Crime Unit and Public Corruption Unit. Assistant United States
Attorneys Scott Hartman and Paul M. Monteleoni are in charge of the
prosecution.

[1]
As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the
Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein
constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated
as an allegation.

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